I heard the voices first. Some were soft, others loud, but always with that accent and garbled beyond recognition. I thought I had to be dreaming, I lived in Upstate NY and no one I knew was Scottish. For the most part I let the dream take me. If I tried to fight it my head would scream loudly in protest and send me back there anyway. This went on for some time, but suddenly I heard screaming and I was cold. Shivering cold. I opened my eyes.

I was inside a small tent made of what appeared to be a canvas on a folding cot with my feet pointing to the opening and outside. Through the fluttering flaps I could see people running, as if for their lives, their screams piercing my ears as I tried slowly to sit up. Men, women, some carrying children, some with packs, and just running. My heart began to race as it suddenly brought back the memory from a year ago.

All the EMS people running around, checking others for signs of life, all I could do was lie there. Then I saw him, lying not far away, bloody and bruised, not moving. Not breathing. My heart clenched as I struggled to remember who he was, his face was so familiar. Suddenly his body was replaced in my vision by someone else, someone who stopped at the opening of my tent and yelled something to me. I closed my eyes tight then opened them again. The man in front of the tent was Dalish! I finally came back to 'reality', this nightmare in Ferelden, and I can almost guarantee what he was running from.

Darkspawn.

His warning shouted, the man continued running as I flung my legs over the side of the cot. Knowing I couldn't stay put I pulled my long blonde hair gingerly away from my face and waited to see if there would be more pain. For the moment my head was cooperating. Maybe it enjoyed being attached to my shoulders after all, I thought, as I stood up and tested my legs. Ok, so far so good. I looked down at my body and saw a simple linen tunic and breeches, just enough to keep me covered, but bare feet. My eyes scanned the tent's contents and found a small pair of fur lined boots and a hooded coat in the corner. Slipping them on I looked around for anything else I could use and saw a pack that looked pretty full waiting by the door. Snatching it up I peeked out the flaps of the tent and, when the coast was clear, I made a run for it.

I could hear the darkspawn, smell them even, so thankfully I had an idea as to where to run away from. Looking for the sun in the sky I saw I was going north and, if I was correct about the time line, hopefully toward Ostagar if I was far enough west. I shook my head and just kept moving as fast as my legs would allow, I couldn't think about anything in that moment except getting to safety. I started huffing and puffing, running out of air and energy, this was obviously NOT a dream.

Slowing my pace, I glanced around to take in my surroundings. I decided it was at least safer so I slowed to a walk. No more screams, I thought to myself, just birds, animals, my heavy breathing and water running in the distance. Realizing I was thirsty from my run I decided to head towards the water.

I slowly crept up to the stream and made sure there were no threats then slipped down a small slope to the water's edge. Rummaging through the pack I found a few pouches that appeared to be made from animal skins and had corks to seal them. Testing them out with water they held it well, so I filled all three to bursting and packed them away. I then took the time to look through the rest of the pack and found what I thought was some kind of jerky, some small dried fruits, even some oats that smelled of brown sugar. Smiling I pushed those to the bottom of the pack and searched the rest. There was a pair of pants and a sweater along with what appeared to be knitted socks. I quickly added the layers to my shivering body, packed everything else away and took off northward. Maybe it wasn't too late.

Wait, too late for what? Seriously, what the hell is going on? Stopping dead in my tracks I racked my brain, pulling anything I could from my memory to account for all I've seen, even going over the most recent memories to ensure I was indeed awake. How the hell is this possible, seriously? It's not, Kora, just close your eyes, breathe deep, and focus. You can bring yourself back, just meditate, center and focus like the therapist taught you! I sat down, took a long breath in, held it, centered, and then slowly released it. Centering again I opened my eyes. The same stream was bubbling peacefully in front of me.

Sighing heavily, I felt the confusion and anxiety build up in me. Then I felt something plop lightly onto my hand, then clasped with the other in my lap. Lifting my hands to my face I realized I was crying. My shoulders started to rock and my head began to ache.

I looked up to the sky and took a deep breath. Upon releasing it I let out a low and guttural groan, keeping it going until I ran out of air, until I felt all my anxiety and pent up frustration had poured out of my mouth and away from my rattling and emotionally exhausted body. For the first time since waking up in that hospital in Mass I was alone, truly and completely alone and my demons creeping in, trying to get the best of me. I refused to allow that so, letting out one last deep sigh and slowly getting up, I picked up the pack and headed north.

Trudging through swamps is not only slow going but disgusting. I can't say how many times I lost a boot, much less how many times the loss of the boot ended with my sock in the sludge. Bored out of my mind and not wanting to think too much about my situation I was absentmindedly pulling at a piece of cloth that was coming away from the edge of one of my sleeves. As it finally gave way I looked down at it and almost tossed it. Instead I decided to use it to tie my hair back into a loose pony tail at the nape of my neck, making me feel a bit more female and human. Any pleasantry I could get I was going to take at this point. Who knew what was up next for me. As the day came to an end with a rush of pinks and purples in the western sky, I smelled smoke and cooking meats.

Ostagar.

"Ho there! State yer bi'ness stranger!" A well armored man yelled as I approached the large wooden gate. He raised his sword so I put on my best sad/scared face and hoped he would take pity on me.

"Please ser, I've been walking for days! The spawn nearly had me a few miles back, don't turn me away!" I begged as I fell to my knees in front of him. "I can cook! I can clean! Do wash, run errands, anything! Please don't send me back into the wilds?" I felt a single tear roll down my right cheek. His sigh told me I had him.

"Fine girl! Go on in, speak to the kennel master. Perhaps he'll have something for ye," he said as he opened the gate and hurried me through. As I passed through the gates I looked around in awe.

That game did this place no justice. The camp itself was massive, people everywhere, dogs barking loudly, soldiers shouting and laughing, morale seemed high and there were so many good smells coming from everywhere. I didn't realize how hungry I was until that moment so I grabbed some jerky from my pack and went to bite into it.

"Hold now, " I heard a deep soothing voice say as I felt a large but gentle hand on my shoulder, "no need to deplete your rations." I turned quickly on the voice and gasped. Duncan!

"Warden Commander!" I gasped as my mouth dropped open. He gave me a welcoming grin as he turned me towards their cooking fire and escorted me to it. His very presence was more than impressive, he had me in awe. He had magnetism, an aura that just oozed confidence and made you trust him implicitly. "I'm honored, thank you so much!" I couldn't believe how awestruck I was but I couldn't help it. He was exactly as I had pictured him if he was a real person. A true commander.

"No thanks needed, please sit," he said as he waved his hand at a log nearby. I put down my pack next to it and sat, grateful to get off my feet in a safe place. A deep sigh came from my lungs and he laughed. "Long journey?"

"Longer than I care to discuss," I answered honestly as I accepted a bowl of something hot and smelling of rosemary and thyme. I inhaled deeply before attempting to take a small sip.

"Now you have my attention," he said as he accepted his bowl. "May I ask your name?" Sitting down next to me he turned himself to face me and started to eat.

"My apologies, my name is Kora," I said as I extended my hand to shake his. Gripping it tight he held my hand a bit longer than normal, as if to gauge my reaction and get a read on me. I knew the game, was a player myself given how I've had to live the last year of my life. Everyone a stranger, no one trusted enough to be let in. Why bother? They either leave or die anyway.

Then I sighed, how much to tell and what to keep to myself? I put the bowl down on the log beside me and shoved my hands into my pockets, a nervous thing I have done for as long as I can remember. My fingertips came in contact with something round and warm in the left one. I must have had a shocked look on my face because Duncan then glanced at the pocket over the top of his bowl. "What's that you have there?"

I slowly pulled the orb out of my pocket and gasped. If I was right, I was holding a grenade called Mythal's Favor. It was a fiery red color with white Dalish inscriptions on it. Duncan looked around calmly to see if anyone was looking and, when satisfied no one had seen, put his right hand on top of it and slowly pushed it and my hand back into my pocket. Earnestly he looked me in the eye. I knew there would be no secrets between us after that so I took a deep breath.

"Can we speak somewhere privately?" I asked in a small voice, trying not to attract anyone's attention, "There is much to tell and most is very sensitive information." I looked up at him through my eyelashes, hoping to use my feminine wiles to ensure him that I was no threat. He looked down his nose at me, obviously picking up on my little trick, but let me have my small victory. Nodding his head he took his bowl and mine, stood up and walked over to a large tent. I scampered along behind him, grabbing my pack on the way. When did I become such a scaredy cat, I thought to myself as I closed the tent flaps behind me. Oh yeah, almost eaten by darkspawn. That's pretty damned scary.

"Sit, then speak when you are ready," he said simply as he put the bowls down on a table with two chairs at it and sat. Putting my pack down by the door I sat in the other chair and sighed, staring at my hands clasped in my lap.

"I've no idea where to start," I whispered as I felt the tears threaten to come back. "I suppose the beginning is best but I'm not entirely sure where that even is." I took a deep sip from the bowl in front of me for courage but Duncan sitting across from me, waiting patiently, made me feel comfortable enough to speak.

I started from the very beginning, the first thing I remembered ever. The accident.